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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · degree · bank · calf · firm · field · saw · tube

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bank — for money
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. bank — of a river
  13. firm — decided
  14. field — for sport
  15. degree — from a university
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. tube — the underground
  19. degree — temperature
  20. saw — the tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. craft — boats
  23. firm — steady
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com